BENGALURU: As they say, ‘Behind every successful man is a woman.’ And Sowmya Jaganmurthy, who has associated with her husband and director Pawan Kumar in various projects, rightly fits this adage. At the same time, she has been working at carving out a niche for herself. An ace dancer and theatre artiste, Sowmya will now be trying her hand at the silver screen with her upcoming project Bhinna.
Along with Payal Radhakrishna, Sowmya will play a parallel lead in Adarsh H Eshwarppa’s second directorial after Shuddhi. Having played a cameo in Pancharangi in 2010, Sowmya is back to face the camera. In conversation with City Express, Sowmya recalls her first-hand experience in tinsel town and what prompted her into acting.
“The first time I was on the big screen was for a guest appearance in Pancharangi, which was nine years ago. At that point, I had decided that I will never get back to acting as I hated the whole experience. Now, when I look back, I understand that it’s just a gradual process. Secondly, dancing has influenced me a lot. I always looked at it as acting with abhinaya. So, when I was given an opportunity again a few years ago, I felt I should make use of it. Offers kept coming in and I decided to take up whatever I was capable of,” says Sowmya, who has two to three projects in her hand.
“I have completed shooting for Shukra Dese, before I picked up Bhinna. It is an art film directed by Joseph Ninasam. At the same time, I met Adarsh. After the audition, he decided to cast me,” she says. Sowmya is also part of Katha Sangama, an anthology comprising of seven short stories, headed by director Rishab Shetty. For one of the stories, she will share screen space with Prakash Belawadi. In addition, she has also been part of a Tamil project. “In Kudrevala, I play three characters of different ages - a daughter, mother, and someone older in the age 23, 30 and 55. I will start dubbing for that film soon,” she says.
For Sowmya, who comes with a lot of expertise, there are few restrictions when it comes to acting. “I mean that in terms of acting techniques. In dance, especially with live music, you can hold your emotions, and you can’t fake that. When it comes to the camera, the minute the director says ‘cut’, it is over. As a dancer, it’s difficult for me to snap out of a scene immediately. At that moment, I always feel that I am not done with it. This is new to me, but I am trying to find a balance,” she says.
Bhinna features Sowmya as a businesswoman, but she is unwilling to reveal any further. “For the role in Bhinna, the character placement is such that it comes as a background. My role in the film (that of Vimala), doesn’t give a damn. I have just carried the essence of the character. My off-screen appearance as a very ethnic girl is quite in contrast to my character,” she says.
While she relies on gut instinct to a large extent, Sowmya also takes advice from Pawan. “So far I have only done four films, and every time he has put across the pros and cons objectively. We discuss how I can go about a certain project or character. He knows me more than anybody else, and his tips enhance my approach and performance,” says the actor who is choosy with her associations.
“I’m okay with no work, but when I take up something, I give it my 100 per cent. With Adarsh, there was no second thought on that, and I was convinced about it after watching his first film Shuddhi. As an individual, I don’t fit into the conventional category. I come from a different background and I look different. I look forward to working with somebody who can break stereotypical barriers,” she adds.